Tripod



1954 s. BARBAKOFF 2,694,542

TRIPOD Filed Aug. 14, 1952 9 L- i J 97 INVENTOR. 23

ATTORNEY ited States Pate nice My invention relates to supports, particularly adjustable height supports, and more especially to plural leg supports, such as tripods.

My invention is primarily a novel type of extens on leg and novel manually operable means for preventing any change in the adjusted length thereof. The legs are formed with an outer and inner tube. The inner tube carries segmental wedges and a third tube formed with a lower conical end serves to spread the wedges so as to prevent relative sliding of the tubes. The third tube is caused to operate by a single manually operable member positioned above the upper ends of the legs.

A principal object of my invention is the production of a support or stand of the plural equal length telescoping leg type of a construction such that the telescoping legs may be all extended to a minimum length, to a maximum length, to equal lengths less than the maximum, or each leg to a diiferent length, and all legs may be simultaneously secured in adjusted position by a single manual motion of a part positioned at the top ends of the legs.

A further object of my invention is the production of a device so constructed as to be operable in the manner above set forth and, in addition, is so constructed that a supported object may be manually vertically raised or lowered to a desired level within the scope of the device and secured at that level by a single manual motion.

A further object of my invention is the production of a device so constructed as to be operable as above set forth and also so constructed that when a supported object is released from a desired level and it is not manually supported, its fall will be retarded so that it will not be violently jarred when it reaches the limit of its fall.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of a particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention, although devised particularly for supporting cameras, is adapted for supporting other instruments and devices which must be supported at various heights or levels above various surfaces, either level or sloping plane or irregular and/ or sloping.

.in describing the invention in detail and the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention, reference will be had to the accompanying sheets of drawings and the several views thereon, wherein like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure l is an elevational view of a device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the device as shown by Fig. l on the plane indicated by the line II-II, viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the lines;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the device as shown by Fig. 2 on the plane indicated by the line IIlHI viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the line;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the device as shown by Fig. 3 on the plane indicated by the line IVIV viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the line;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the device as shown by Fig. l on the plane indicated by the line V-V viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the line;

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of the device as shown by Fig. 5 on the plane indicated by the line VI-VI viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the line;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevational view'of the lower end of an inner tube of atelescoping leg used in my invention with the outer tube shown in section.

The specific embodiment of-my invention illustrated in the drawings is especially adapted to support a camera or the like.

In the specific embodiment, there is a body, or head,

or spider l which serves to connect supporting legs with the immediate camera supporting means. This body 1 may be made of a desired diameter, shape, and thickness and is suitably formed to make physical connection with several supporting legs.

in the form shown, bores as 3, best shown in FigJS, are formed to receive pivot pins as 5. As many bores are formed as are required to contain the requisite number of pivot pins so that there will be one pin for each' leg of the stand. These bores are formed parallel to-a plane perpendicular to the vertical axis of the body 1' as it stands in Fig. 1. Each bore is formed parallel to a tangent to a circle struck from the center 7 of the body 1. The bores are preferably spaced equal angular distances apart and equally from the center of the body 1. Portions 9 of the body l are removed intermediate the ends of the boresto provide a space for the upper end of each leg.

The pins 5 are placed in the bores 3 and secured therein in any suitable or appropriate manner as by providing a head 11 on one end'of the pin and a screw thread 13 cooperating with a threaded nut 15 on the other end of the pivot pin.

The body 1 is also formed with a through bore 19, best shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The telescoping legs 21, 23, and 25 are each formed alike. Each leg comprises an outer tube 27 and an inner tube 29. As best shown in Fig. 5, the outer tube 27 is slightly larger than the inner tube 29 so that the inner tube slides quite freely within the outer tube.

However, the outer tube 27 is reduced in internal diameter for a short distance at 31 about equal to the diameter of the tube 29.

The outer tube 27 may be provided with any suitable terminals as 33 to close the lower end of the tube and furnish a non-slipping substance, such as rubber, to pre- ".vent slipping.

The inner tube 29, as best shown in Fig. 7, is formed with two oppostte segmental slots 35 adjacent its lower end for the reception of segmental binding wedges 37 7 and 39. The upper end of the tube is provided with a through bore 41 for the reception of a pivot pin 5. By

this construction the leg, pivot pin 5.

\Vithin the inner tube 29 is a third or clamping tube 43. This tube has its lower end formed as a cone or frustrum of a cone 45 and the conical surfaces are positioned intermediate the wedges 37 and 39. As the wedges 37 and 39 have outer arcuate surfaces 47 and 49; an inner sloping surface corresponding to the slope of the cone 45, so if the coneis pushed downwardly, as viewed in Fig. 5, the wedges 37 and 39 are pushed outwardly and bear frictionally and strongly against the inner surface of the outer tube 27 and so prevent the outer tube 27 from as a whole, may pivot upon the moving longitudinally relatively to the inner tube 29. At-

its upper end the third tube 43 has slots in its wall, 51 and 53, through which the pivot pin 5 extends so that the inner tube 43 may reciprocate longitudinally relatively to inner tube 29.

Third tube 43, at its upper end, is also provided with a button which has an enlarged head forming a shoulder as at 55 which rests upon the upper end of the third tube 43 and is provided with a cylindrical plug-like body 57 which just fits tightly into the upper end of the third tube 43. The upper surface 59 of the enlarged head is formed into a portion of the surface of a sphere, the center of which lies in the longitudinal axis of the pivot pin 5.

From the hereinbefore given description, it will be apparent that a leg, as 21, may be pivoted about a pivot pin, as 5. It will also be apparent that the outer tube 27 may be telescoped inwardly and outwardly upon inner tube 29 so as to adjust the length of a leg.

Patented Nov. 16, 1954 It will also be apparent that having once adjusted a length of the leg, that length may be maintained by pressing down upon the surface 59 of the button so as to force cone 25 between the segmental wedges 37 and 39 to force them against the inner surface of the outer tube It will be apparent that each leg may be extended to a minimum length or to a maximum length, or the legs may be extended to equal lengths less than the maximum or each leg to a different length, and the adjusted length may be maintained by pressing down upon the several buttons at the upper end of the third tube In order to press down the third tube 43, I provide a manually operable member 61 which is in the nature of a collar which is positioned to bear upon the ends of each of the buttons positioned in the upper ends of the third tube 43.

In order to facilitate the bearing down of collar 61, I position a nipple 63, best shown in Fig. 3, in the bore 19 in the body 1. This nipple may be attached or fixed in position in any suitable or appropriate manner as by forcing it into the bore 19. The nipple 63 is provided with a screw thread 65 on a portion extending upwardly from the body 1, and this screw thread is engaged with a mating internal thread upon the collar 61, so that when collar 61 is properly rotated it moves downwardly, as viewed in Fig. 3, against the buttons in the third tube 43 and forces each of the tubes 43 simultaneously to lock each of the telescoping legs in adjusted position. The reverse movement of manually operable collar 61 releases or unlocks the telescoping legs.

Any suitable body or device such as a camera or the like may be supported by nipple 63. My invention contemplates as a support, a plunger 67, which has a sliding fit with the interior of the hollow nipple 63. On the upper end of the plunger 67 I may position any desired or suitable body 69, such as a camera or the like.

In order to provide a means for maintaining a body, such as 69, at a particular vertical height, I provide means for maintaining plunger 67 in a fixed position. I accomplish this by forming the upper end of nipple 67 into fingers, as best shown in Fig. 4, in which the fingers are designated 71, 73, 75 and 77 by slotting out portion 79, 81, 83 and 85. By binding the fingers, as 71, to the plunger 67, it is prevented from moving from an adjusted position. In order to do the binding, I provide an internal threaded nut 87 on the nipple 63 and form the upper end of the nut into a sort of spring binding ring with sloping walls 89. When the nut 87 is screwed downwardly, as viewed in Fig. 7, fingers, as 71, are pressed firmly against the plunger 67 and so prevent it from moving from adjusted position.

When the binding of the fingers 71 is removed, plunger 67 would be free to drop and jar and shake the apparatus unless means are provided for preventing a too rapid drop of plunger 67. I provide a means for preventing a too rapid drop of plunger 67 by forming screw threads 91 on the lower end of the nipple 63 and provide a collar 93 with a shoulder 95 and a bore 97 just fitting the outside of plunger 67 so that the collar 93 may be screwed onto the lower end of the nipple 63 and squeeze a gasket 99 with just that degree of pressure against plunger 47 as will suitably retard its free falling.

Although I have particularly described one particular physical embodiment of my invention and explained the construction and principle thereof, nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the form selected is merely illustrative but does not exhaust the possible physical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A multi-pod, including, in combination, a body, said body formed with tangent bores parallel to a plane perpendicular to the vertical axis of the body and spaced radially from the axis, and each bore parallel to one only of a plurality of tangents to the periphery of a circle struck from the axis of the body as a center, the several tangents touching the periphery at points spaced about the periphery, sufiicient of the material of the body being absent about the longitudinal mid points of each of the bores providing spaces for the reception of ends of struts, said body further formed with a through bore, the longitudinal center line of which coincides with the vertical axis of the body, pins, one in each tangent bore, the diameter of each pin being slightly less than the diameter of the bore in which it is positioned, a plurality of legs, one for each pin, each leg including two telescoping tubes, an inner tube and an outer tube, the inner tube being less in outside diameter than the inside diameter of the outer tube, a third tube within the inner tube and forming a longitudinally sliding fit therein, the inner tube formed adjacent its upper end with a through transverse bore receiving a tangent pin and adjacent its lower end formed with two opposite transverse binding wedge slots, the said third tube formed with opposite longitudinal pin slots adjacent its upper end, the said third tube being formed with a conical lower end positioned intermediate the said transverse binding wedge slots, a bearing button positioned on the upper end of the said third tube, said button formed with a head bearing on the top end of the said third tube and a body depending in the said third tube and closely fitting the said third tube, the outer surface of the head of said button formed as the surface of a sphere, the center of which is in the axis of a pin, two segmental binding wedges, one in each of the transverse slots of the said inner tube, said wedges formed on their inner sides with sloping faces corresponding to the slope of the conical end of the said third tube, and their outer faces projecting slightly beyond the outer surface of the said inner tube and forming surfaces corresponding to the inner surface of the said outer tube, an elongated cylindrical body positioned fixedly in the said vertical bore, said body provided on its outer free surface with a screw thread, a collar having a plane face juxtaposed to the upper surface of the first said body and formed with a screw threaded bore mating with and positioned on the screw threaded surface of said cylindrical body whereby the collar may be screwed down onto the spherical heads of the bearing. buttons, said outer tube being restricted in internal diameter at its upper end, for a distance about equal to the diameter thereof to the outside diameter of the said inner tube.

2. A support, including, in combination, a body, said body formed with a through bore, a hollow cylindrical nipple fixedly positioned in the bore and extending in opposite directions from the body, said nipple formed with a screw thread on the portions without the body, said nipple at one extreme end provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots opening in the said extreme end, a nut with an internal thread matching the thread on the nipple screwed onto the end of the nipple provided with slots, a spring binding ring formed with sloping walls formed on the said nut, said binding ring having a minimum internal diameter such that it presses firmly against the said slotted extreme end of the nipple when the said nut is screwed down on the nipple sufficiently, a collar provided with an internal screw thread and a shoulder screwed on the lower portion of the nipple in a direction opposite to said extreme end, a gasket, said gasket positioned between the said shoulder and the end of the nipple whereby a cylinder, slidingly fitting, may be placed in the nipple and be reciprocated therein and held fixedly by manipulating said nut and when not so fixed may slide therethrough at a speed determined by the pressure placed on the gasket by the collar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 439,411 Luetke Oct. 28, 1890 461,238 Cox et al Oct. 13, 1891 663,535 Essner et al. Dec. 11, 1900 2,490,369 Neuwirth Dec. 6, 1949 2,508,039 Neuwirth May 16, 1950 2,587,511 Nerman Feb. 26, 1952 2,591,051 Caldwell Apr. 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 513,733 Great Britain Oct. 20, 1939 

